A Touch of Colour

Happy Friday! It’s undeniably grey at the moment, so I thought I’d do a little list of some colourful things that have been almost as good as some vitamin D and have been keeping me cheerful lately.

The David Hockney Exhibition at Tate Britain

I went to see the Hockney exhibition last Friday with my friend Alice Stevenson. It was fantastic, if very crowded, and the perfect show to see if you’re getting sick of the leaden skies. I was fascinated to view many of Hockney’s California works, which I’d never seen before, but instantly transported me to warmer, sunnier climes. Do go if you get a chance, but make sure to book in advance if you’re not a Tate member, and I definitely advise visiting early one morning, if possible, to avoid the crush.

Chocoholics Chai Afternoon Tea

One particularly wet afternoon, I took my friend along to enjoy a pop-up, Indian-inspired afternoon tea at a church in South Kensington. Somewhat to my disappointment, we didn’t tuck into our macarons seated in the pews, but instead tables were set up in a little room adjacent to the church. The room wasn’t the prettiest, but the lovely ladies behind London Chai Party did a great job brightening the place up with daffodils and colourful tablecloths.

On sitting down, we were handed a glass of warming hot chocolate, before tucking into the feast, which was a great take on afternoon tea with an Indian twist. The marsala popcorn was a fun way to kick off the meal, and I especially loved the cream-cheese and sweetcorn croquettes with a delicious jalapeno sauce , tandoori chicken club sandwiches, white chocolate and cardamom macarons and rice pudding & chocolate mousse pudding (which sounded a bizarre combination, but worked surprisingly well!). Oh, and of course, the chai tea was delicious too!

Madelinetosh Yarn

One thing I love about yarn, is that a knitting project is the perfect way to indulge my love of colour (and also to match wool to book covers – seriously fun!). It’s a joy to ponder over each skein, debating which to choose. I love knitting things for other people too, as it means I can work with colours that wouldn’t particularly suit me, but that I still love. The purple yarn in this picture is intended for a scarf for my Mum, who has very different colouring from my own. I paid a trip to Loop yarn shop recently, which stocks Madelinetosh yarn (my favourite!), but it reminded me that I have far too much stash wool to use up before buying anymore! It was still a treat to browse the shop, though, which is always full to bursting with beautiful, colourful skeins.

{By the way, this photo also serves as a reminder that this month’s book club choice is Longbourn by Jo Baker. Looking forward to discussing it with all who take part!}